Isaac thomas townsend



I (No Model.)

' I. T. TOWNSEND.

RAOQUET BAT.

No 344,422. PatentedJune 29, 1886.

FIG.

NITE STATES PATENT rrrcn.

ISAAC THOMAS TOWNSEND, OF COVENTRY, COUNTY OF \VARWICK,

ENGLAND. I

RACQU ET-BAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 344,422, dated June 29, 1886.

Application filed April 20, 1886. Serial No. 199,466. (No model.) Patented in England November 27, 1885, No.14,576.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Isaac THOMAS Town- SEND, of Coventry, in the county of NVarwick, England, tricycle-manufacturer, and a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Racquet-Bats, (for which I have received Letters Patent in Great Britain, N 0. 14,576, dated November 27, 1885;) and I do hereby declare that the following is a sufficient description of the invention to enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to carry the same into practical effect.

This invention has for its object improvements in racquet-bats, which enables me to make them both light and strong, combined with a very elegant appearance.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried into practice, I have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings, .uponwhich is illustrated the frame-work of a bat made according to my invention.

Figure 1 is a front view of the frame and handle of the bat. Fig. 2 is asection through the frame on line 1 2. Fig. 3 is a section through the root of the handle 'on line 3 4. Fig. 4. is a section through the upper part of the handle on line 5 6, showing how the head and handle are united. Fig. 5 is a section through the lower part of the handle on line 7 8. Fig. 6 represents a section of a modification, in which a space is left between the inner and outer parts of the frame. Fig. 7 represents a detail view showing a modified form of bridge.

The inner part, A, of the frame of the bat is made from light steel or other very tough metal, which is bent round into the required shape, and finishing at any convenient part of the handle in the bat shown at the dotted lines o and and 0, just below the line 5 6; but it must always eXtend sufficiently down to connect the bow and handle well together. The shape is maintained, and the ends are firmly united together by means of the bridge E, which is of the same section of steel as the frame A, and this bridge is nicely fitted at the ends 6' and c against the frame, where it is firmly brazed or otherwise secured in a substantial manner, which keeps the two ends a and a a set distance apart. It may, however, follow the curve downward, as shown in the modification at W, Fig. 7, instead of rising, as shown by Fig. 1. This metallic felly or frame is stifiened and solidified by the cane, ash, or

other band or outer strap, B, which may be made from around cane split down the middle, the round part or back being laid against the inside or h'ollow part of the metal frame. Of

course in cases where the metal frame is not 6 quite circular inside, or is of different section, the cane has to be worked to fit and properly bed therein, though it is not so absolutely necessary that it should in some sections fit quite so solidly at the bottomas, for instance, in 6 the section shown by Fig. 6, where the space D is left; but care must be taken to obtain a sufficiently good bearing and hold inside the wings at d and d, in which case some economy in material and weight can be obtained; but I 0 low being continued to the bottom of the han- 8 dle, as will be seen in the sections, Figs. 3, 4, and 5. When these are well fitted, the center piece of cane, M, is firmly driven or fixed between these pieces K and K, which beds them tightly inside the ends a and a of the frame A. The pieces K, K, and M may be of one piece of walnut or other timber or material, according to the weight required. The whole is now cleaned off, and the two pieces R and S, which we make preferably of cedar, but they 0 may be of other timber or material, are put on to makeup thepropershape ofhandlerequired.

The various pieces are all united together with glue, and may be finished in a hot-iron press or otherwise, so as to bring out all the glue and to make the joints fine and tight.

The quantity of cane, willow, and metal used will be according to the weight of the bat required, as more or less of each may be used,

and even a variation in the materialsuch, for 10o instance, as the pieces K or M, whether separate or one piece being made of ash.

The holes for stringing are made through the metal A and the cane or other binder B,

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

The improvementsin racquet-bats of ahead formed with a metallic inner frame, A,united to the handle, and having the outer binder, B,

bent around the bow in one continuous band, and continuing down sufficiently low to unite with or to partly form a handle, which is made up with other pieces, substantially as herein set forth.

, In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I afliX my name in the presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC THOS. TOWNSEND.

Witnesses:

GEORGE BARKER, GEORGE PRIcE. 

